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Friday, December 27, 2013

I am a huge fan of pork tenderloin - it cooks quickly, always seems to
come out tender, and can be sliced into medallions that always seem much
tastier to me than the pre-cut pork loins.

The other day, I made my go-to Balsamic-Mustard Pork Tenderloin
along with a simple Collard Green preparation. I wound up turning the
sliced pork and its sauce into the collards, and the flavor combination
was fantastic. Both the collards and pork were tender and delicious, and the
sauce really added some depth to the greens.

Served with some applesauce (in its own bowl, because collard-flavored
applesauce didn't seem like a grand idea), mainly because I grew up on
The Brady Bunch, so I sometimes think one must always have applesauce
with their pork!

If you'd like to make the pork, follow the link above. This time, I patted a hearty amount of the last of my Spice House 'Bavarian Seasoning' all over the pork before searing it. Here is how I did the collard greens:

Collard Greens

1 onion, minced
3 cloves garlic, minced
Collard Greens, remove stems and cut leaves in ribbons - these cook
down, so use at least 3 times as much raw as you expect to wind up with
cooked. I was lazy and bought a big bag of organic pre-sliced and used
about half the bag
3 T. Bacon grease
2 t. red pepper flakes (or to taste)
salt and pepper to taste

Use as large a pan with a lid as you have. Melt the bacon grease in the
pan (you can use other fats instead but this adds flavor as well as fat)
and saute the onions until tender. Add garlic and saute another
minute, being careful not to burn it. Then add the collards - they'll
fill up the pan! - and saute until they start to cook down a little,
trying to coat them with the bacon fat and mix in the onions as much as
possible. Sprinkle with seasoning and put the lid on. Let simmer for
30-45 minutes.

Serve on the side, or if you're making the pork, while this is cooking,
have your finished pork resting before slicing, and make the balsamic
mustard sauce in a separate pan. Slice the pork, coat with the sauce,
and then, when your greens are done, turn the pork and sauce into the
collard greens and give the whole thing a final stir to combine the
sauce with the greens.

If you're not making the pork, try making the sauce for the collards, anyway:

Saturday, December 21, 2013

Oh Sew Sweet Designs is an adorable business that creates one-of-a-kind
handmade pieces. Between their Facebook and Etsy page you can find
children’s clothes, blankets, bags, headbands, hats, and much more.

“If you can dream it, I can create it” is their introduction on all outlets.

I was
sent a really cute tote bag with small pockets on the front. The bag is
marketed as either a tablet carrying bag or a coloring book tote. The
pocket on the front is perfect for crayons.

My
four-year-old daughter was ecstatic about this bag. She loves any purse,
bag, or container that is for her to put stuff in. After telling her
what it was for, she immediately tore open a box of crayons to put them
in the front pockets. Each pocket accommodates about 5 crayons.

However,
we soon discovered that none of her coloring books fit in the bag. Most
of hers are definitely average size, but they were roughly 2 inches too
wide to fit inside. She found a few smaller notepads and was perfectly
happy carrying it room-to-room, coloring in each.

It does
however fit my Kindle in it perfectly. I already have a protective
cover on it but it was nice when we were on the go.

Hailey likes to play
my Kindle in the car and waiting rooms or wherever we go. However she
is just 4, so her attention span isn’t always the longest. It’s nice to
have somewhere to put it other than my already crowded purse when she
decides she is done with it.

Structurally
the bag is flawless. There is no tears or bad stitching. It is a very
talented piece that I’m happy to own.

The fabric is very cute! The main
body of the fabric is blue background filled with strawberries and
cherries and flowers. The crayon pockets contrast it nicely with bright
green chevron.

This post was originally posted at WAHM Review
and is being cross posted here by the original author. I received no
monetary compensation for this review, however I was provided with the
product for free for purposes of review. All opinions are my own. Click here see our full disclosure policy.

Thursday, December 19, 2013

Cakewalk Desserts breaks new ground with their sweets! I’m sure I’m not the only
one who has never heard of pie pops, and founder/baker Andrea Smetona
wants to change that.
Founded
in 2010 just as a side hobby, Cakewalk Desserts has grown immensely and
has been featured in countless bridal magazines and blogs. These
adorable little pies on a stick add a touch not found by any other
pastry.

I was
sent a box overnight filled with 12 yummy pie pops, and their recently
released full color cookbook. When I opened the box I saw it had some
brown packing paper crumpled on top of the pops, which were lying loose
in the box.

Unfortunately, a few of the pie pops were crushed already, and more crumbled as soon as I took them out of their plastic.

That
could easily be a problem with local postal service delivery, so I wont
hold that against Cakewalk based on one delivery. However, I do think
the box was a little big for the amount, which left a lot of empty space
for moving around.

The
taste more than made up for it! There were 3 different varieties, four
of each one. I could visually tell that there was apple and cherry, but
there was star shaped pops that gave no indication of flavor. That was
the first one to try! I tasted some kind of berry like fruit, as well as
a crunch of walnuts. Using the cookbook I was able to determine that I
was eating Cranberry Walnut Crisp pie pops thanks to the glorious photos
and descriptions in the book.

I love
the presentation of the pops. Each one of them were individually wrapped
in cellophane with a colored ribbon around the stick.

The
Cranberry Walnut Crisp was really good! It was quite festive. The crust
was a little dryer than I would have liked, though. The apple was really
cute as well, and had a Christmas tree shape cut out of the center. The
crust was a little better than the Cranberry, but there was only a
small bite of apple filling. The cherry was by far the best! My husband,
daughter and I all were in agreement that this one was amazing. These
weren’t crumbling; the sticks stayed put through most of it and it had a
wonderful flavor and soft buttery crust.

I could really see these being a staple at wedding or barbeques.

The
other great thing included was Andrea’s cookbook, Easy As Pie Pops. It
is 175 full color pages. The book includes 5 sections; fresh and fruity
pie pops, sweet and sophisticated pie pops, scrumptious and savory pie
pops, cake pops, and tea time mini loafs. Before you get to any recipes,
there is a section introducing you to pie pops, telling you what tools
you need, and explaining the technique for both crust and filling.

I have
not had a chance to try out any of the recipes but I have taken to the
time to bookmark the ones I will try first! I am most looking forward to
the savory pops. How unique! I can only hope that these recipes will
come out as good as the ones she made.

This post was originally posted at WAHM Review
and is being cross posted here by the original author. I received no
monetary compensation for this review, however I was provided with the
product for free for purposes of review. All opinions are my own. Click here see our full disclosure policy.

Wednesday, December 18, 2013

What
girl doesn’t love nail polish? We all want a bottle in every color to
go with any outfit, or mood. Whenever we pass by the isle, we grab at
least one new one, to slowly build our stock, right? What if the nail
polish could come to you? What if, every month there was a new fun color
delivered right to your mailbox? Color Me Monthly does just that!

For
just $7/month you could have a brand new nail polish, in a pretty new
surprise color show up at your door. The price seems right in line with a
decent bottle in the store. I love the element of surprise that comes
along with it. It almost acts as a permission to try something you might
not have bought otherwise. I know I tend to be a little scared of bold
colors, but they usually work well once I get the nerve to just try it!

The
package arrived in a tiny box with nothing fancy on it. In fact, upon
opening lid, that’s the first thing I saw- a testimonial that they don’t
see the point in all the pizzazz.

Under
the tissue paper was just one single 16.5mL/.56 fl oz full size bottle
called ‘wrapped in tinsel’ and a description card. It is a pretty
forest/Christmas green with small sparkle flecks in it. Just in time for
all the Christmas parties!

Color Me Monthly
chooses their polishes based on current seasons and fashion trends.
They never repeat a color so even if you’ve been apart of their
subscription for a year, you will not receive the same bottle twice
(even if you want to!)

There are a few subscriptions to choose from. You
can do a single month for $7, or $40/ 6 months, and lastly $75/ year.
You can also send gift subscriptions. Unfortunately there is not the
option to send a single month, however. You can send six months or one
year as a gift. Or you can send them the VIP Collection, which costs $40
and includes 5 of their most loved previous colors.

The also have a
section of the website called The Vault where you can purchase a few of
their past polishes for $9 a bottle. They also sell base coat, topcoat,
and revitalizing serum. All options include free shipping!

Color Me Monthly’s
polishes are non-toxic, never tested on animals and made in the USA.
They ship to every state in the US, included Hawaii and Alaska.

I’m
very excited about this discovery and can’t wait to order another box!

It was so much fun opening this and having a girly day with my
4-year-old daughter who LOVES having her nails done.

I think the only
thing I would have loved to see was a few nail essentials. For example,
if you get an ongoing subscriptions, the first box could cost a little
more and include the topcoat, and maybe an emery board, going down in
price the rest of the months when they just send the colors. I think
that would be awesome!

This post was originally posted at WAHM Review
and is being cross posted here by the original author. I received no
monetary compensation for this review, however I was provided with the
product for free for purposes of review. All opinions are my own. Click here see our full disclosure policy.

Tuesday, December 17, 2013

"One of a Kind. Timeless. Sexy. You.”
That’s the tagline on Kendra Studio Jewellery’s Facebook page. Nothing
could ring more true when describing her breathtaking pieces! Each piece
is handcrafted and unique from one another.

The artist, Kendra Roberts
is so incredibly talented. On top of that, she is very personable and
such a pleasure to work with.

It’s
no wonder Kendra Roberts really knows what she is doing! From a young
age, she was very interested and talented in art. In college she refined
that to focus on jewelry making. She completed her Master’s in the art
at Glasgow School of Art in Scotland. Having that under her belt, she
moved to New York, where she opened up Kendra Studio Jewellery, where
she currently resides.

Kendra
handpicked a piece for me based on a little detective work she did on
my Facebook profile. She discovered two things that really make me who I
am; I am a mother, and I am a military spouse. The piece she chose was a
Mother of Pearl circle pendant with a feather drop. The mother of pearl
is clearly hinting at the mother aspect of my life, while the shape of
the piece is reminiscent of a crest of sorts, signifying both family and
militant lifestyles. I was very impressed with the personal touch she
connected me with the piece.

The
necklace is absolutely gorgeous. I’m so happy to finally have real
adult jewelry! I did have to buy an extension for it, as it was far too
snug when it first arrived. It is a 16-inch chain on its own, and I got a
4-inch extension and now it lies perfectly.

On
Kendra’s Etsy page she displays necklaces, rings, bracelets and
earrings, cuff links, and more. All of which are so amazing! This is far
from cheap costume jewelry. Each piece is handmade with semi-precious
stones or shells, lain in sterling silver. Each stone or shell is
hand-cut and hand-polished by Kendra herself. Her prices range per
piece, as no two is alike. My necklace would have retailed for $125,
which appears about average for her jewelry.

Kendra Studio Jewellery’s debut was nothing short of appropriate for the level
of ‘stunning’ found in her work- New York Fashion Week in 2005! Since
then, KSJ has been featured on many media outlets. One of those avenues
includes HGTV, which ran a segment in 2007 showing how the jewelry is
actually crafted! I’ve watched it four different times and I just find
it absolutely intriquing.

In
the video you really get a sense of who Kendra is as a person. She
seems so sweet and bubbly, and someone you really want to support in her
endeavors.

Even
though it was not part of this review, I can’t leave this without
making the mouths of all the readers water uncontrollably as mine did
when I saw this piece:

This
necklace is called Seascape at Sunrise. You can see the blue/green
colors of the sea on the bottom with the orange/red tones of the sunrise
over top of it. This is made with Turquoise, lapis, rhodonite, mother
of pearl and abalone shell, apple green turquoise, certified ivory, red
and violet spiny oyster shell inlay in sterling silver. Even from the
back it makes a statement with the ten-inch drop the chain makes. This
breathtaking one-of-a-kind necklace could be yours for just $6,250!
Whew, what I wouldn’t give!

Kendra’s jewelry can be found in 24 different shops across 17 states!

NOTE TO HUSBAND—Dear, I’m going to need a matching pair of mother of pearl earrings. See picture below:

This post was originally posted at WAHM Review
and is being cross posted here by the original author. I received no
monetary compensation for this review, however I was provided with the
product for free for purposes of review. All opinions are my own. Click here see our full disclosure policy.

Monday, December 16, 2013

Ugh, potty training. Just say those two words and every parent groans inwardly. There is absolutely nothing fun about the process … but, Let’s Potty is attempting to change that!

My middle kiddo is as stubborn as the day is long. I dread potty training him(he definitely calls the shots in my house), but it must be done! His preschool is starting to ask when we plan on potty training, and I don't think I can put it off much longer.

I heard about Let’s Potty and I was intrigued - making potty training a game? Yes please, tell me more!

The game arrived in the middle of the week (it came incredibly fast from Amazon!) and I set it on the counter for the weekend family night.

My toddler was intrigued by the box - it’s so bright and looks like something fun. He kept trying to pull it off the counter before we were due to play with it.

I was happy about that though, because then it was something that he was looking forward to doing (although he did get a small bit of snack on the top!).

Finally we had Saturday family night! Daddy was home, and we ordered up a pizza and sat around the table.

The board is just like the outside box - full of bright colors and a lot of activity. We let our toddler point out different things on the board before we started - he saw the things we have in our house, like the daddy reading, the puppy, and the school bus.

One thing I love about this game is that its very simple. Each player chooses a character. There are 2 boys and 2 girls.

We, of course, let the little man go first. You choose a card from the stack, and follow the instruction. Each card has a short little saying to read and a very simple direction to follow.

My husband and I used these cards as conversation starters about potty training. We would say things like how big kids get to go forward when they keep their pants dry, talked about getting big kid underwear, and asked him questions about the potty.

It was a lot of fun to actually have time together as a family where we were talking and hearing our son’s two year old take on things. We even taught him a “potty dance”, which I highly recommend!

The game keeps going until everyone’s character reaches the potty. Its a very simple game, but it gives a lot of opportunity to engage in the potty training dialogue that you need to before starting training.

We had so much fun with the game that well be trying it again next weekend! We have also discussed making the game a model for a potty training rewards system!

Now that our toddler has some of these things in his vocabulary I really think it'll be easier to transition him off the board game and using these things every day.

I think one of the biggest potty challenges is that kids see it as “scary” or as “hard work” and I'm hoping that playing Let’s Potty has made it look like fun instead!

One thing of note is that although this is a very simple game, it does seem to be best for kids who are able to understand the cause and effect of it - I pick up the card, I read the card, I do what the card says. The game’s recommended age is for 2+ and that sounds about right to me!

Even after my 2 year old is trained, I'm going to keep Let’s Potty in the closet for when his younger sister is potty training. I can’t imagine how fun it would be to have my toddler join us in playing with his “potty wisdom”!

The game is fun in itself, but the added bonus of having TV off family time is what makes it a really wonderful buy.

This post was originally posted at WAHM Review
and is being cross posted here by the original author. I received no
monetary compensation for this review, however I was provided with the
product for free for purposes of review. All opinions are my own. Click here see our full disclosure policy.

Friday, December 13, 2013

Sometimes, you come across
a product you didn't really know you needed until you try it. SwipesLovin' Wipes is one of those products for me - put simply, this is a
disposable moistened wipe that is specifically intended for adults,
to quickly freshen up before or after sex. Now, we all have our
methods for that, I'm sure (including sometimes regretfully saying no
because we are a few too many hours away from our last shower), but
if you're like me, none of them have been particularly satisfactory -
either it generates laundry, is a sponge-bathing hassle, or you're
using a product deliberately scented to smell like a baby at a time
when you don't want to be smelling baby fresh, thanks anyway!

But even so, I'd never
thought that there might be something simple designed for the
purpose. When they arrived, I started to explain them to my husband,
but I didn't get very far.

"So we should start
the review NOW, right? For science!"

That's one of the
wonderful things about Swipes - they allow for spontaneity, like when
you just have to stop right in the middle of a review to go play (for
science!). For parents of young children, being able to take
advantage of small windows of opportunity, even if you haven't got
the time or energy to go all-out with pre-romance preparation can be
the difference between keeping your romance alive and rarely having
an intimate moment at all. Swipes even come in a travel-sized pack
that allow for spontaneity away from home.

Beyond the obvious
advantage of having moistened wipes available, there are several
other reasons why you want to choose Swipes Lovin' Wipes rather than
raiding the baby aisle at the grocery store:

Swipes Lovin' Wipes is a
woman-owned small business that is entirely made in the USA and
deliberately focused on creating an eco-friendly product. For me,
that hits just about all of my joy-buttons! The moistening fluid is
not full of chemicals, and the wipes are touted as being safe for
septic tanks, flushable and even compostible.

I was slightly concerned
about the packaging - with no plastic bin, it was eco-friendly, yes,
but I have had negative experiences with 'resealable' packaging like
this that doesn't really reseal and then the items inside dry out
well before I've had a change to use them. I shouldn't have worried,
though, as this is an ingenious opening that doesn't just stick. The
lift up portion is stiff and springs closed when you let go of it,
and the seal both releases easily, and reseals firmly - no fumbling
or failing to close it back up when your mind is on other things!

Swipes Lovin' Wipes comes
in two varieties - cucumber scented and unscented. I liked the light
cucumber scent - it is not strong or overpowering, but it is
pleasant. My husband prefers the unscented, and for those who may
have fragrance sensitivities that is the best choice. Each does a
fine job!

One thing that my husband
was really leery of was the suggestion that these wipes are
flushable. Our older home comes with older pipes, and we already know
the plumber better than we'd like to. In the course of discussing
how counter intuitive it would be to deliberately put an eco-friendly
product in the trash, we decided to experiment a little (for science!
Again! No, really!).

I already had a box of
baby wipes on hand - they're a storebrand version that claims to be
comparable to Pampers Sensitive Wipes. These are not to be flushed,
unless you're committed to putting your plumber's kids through
college! Nor are they recyclable or compostible, so every use means
another bit of trash for the landfills.

The reason toilet paper is
flushable is because it breaks down fairly rapidly. The reason
undyed, unscented toilet paper is septic tank safe is because it has
no chemicals that will interfere with the septic tank. Swipes claim
they are safe for both but since we have no septic tank we wanted to
focus on how fast they break down.

So, here are the two wipes
- the textured wipe on the left is the store brand. It's fairly
thick and pretty good quality for a wipe. On the right is Swipes
Lovin' Wipes - slightly thinner but quite soft, and not textured. If
I were to stop right here, I'd choose the store brand, thinking
thicker and textured is better (at least, until I remember the
additional chemicals and asked myself why do I need textured other
than that textured is marketed as 'better'?)

I got two small bowls,
dunked one of the wipes into each one and filled them with water.
After only an hour, I checked for the first time. No change on the
left - but on the Swipes side, there were tiny tendrils of
cloudiness. No telling if that's breakdown or just some of the
fluid.

Twelve hours later, I
looked again - still no change on the left, but more cloudiness from
the Swipes and they were looking a good bit thinner. Even after a
half a day, it was becoming clear that the wipe itself is starting to
disintegrate in the water.

After two days, this was
the result. Absolutely no change from the store brand - the water
was clear, the wipe looked exactly as it did. The Swipes wipe? Well
- it looked like waterlogged toilet paper, and the water itself felt
slightly thick. Very obviously, there's been some good breakdown. I
wish I'd thought to include a bowl of actual toilet paper, because
I'm pretty sure it would be breaking down only a little faster than
this is!

Finally, I drained the
bowls, giving each wipe a little squeeze to get rid of excess water.
I then gave the store-brand wipe a good tug, which is why it's
stretched out. It held together without breaking. Keep in mind,
this is something they actually advertise! But ask yourself why your
baby wipe needs to be strong enough to survive days of being
underwater?

When I tried to open up
the Swipes wipe so I could tug at it, too - I didn't even get that
far. Just the process of laying it flat split it in several places.
I am sold - I tossed the storebought wipe into the trash regretfully,
and put the remains of the Swipes wipe into the compost bin.

"So, hon, it's going
to compost fine. What do you say? - can these be flushed or not?"

"I guess so.... the
picture tells the tale, and I can't argue with that... Can we
"experiment" some more?"

In addition to being
available in some local drugstores, such as Walgreens, you can
purchase Swipes online.
You can also check them out on Facebook.

***

This post was originally posted at WAHM Review and is being cross posted here by the original author. I received no monetary compensation for this review, however I was provided with the product for free for purposes of review. All opinions are my own. Click here see our full disclosure policy.

Monday, December 9, 2013

I
have had my eye on the Etsy shop Golden Hands Design for awhile now,
and I was very excited when Cathy agreed to let me review one of her
handcrafted creations. Her shop is full of really beautiful and
whimsical knit and crocheted creations - she has some beautiful cowls
and shawls, a large variety of hats and fingerless gloves, some
really adorable wine necklaces (you have to go check those out!) and
some waifish summertime crocheted tops and barefoot sandals.

Cathy's
beautiful daughter models most of the items she carries, and her son
in law handles the photography - I think the presentation goes a long
way toward showcasing Cathy's handiwork. I knew the summer items
weren't for me although they'd be perfect for a younger person, but
beyond that, I couldn't begin to narrow down what I'd most like to
try for review, so I asked her to surprise me after we spoke a little
about my general preferences.

The
result was an absolutely delightful crocheted Elf Hat created just
for me in a gorgeous soft deep eggplant 80/20 acrylic and wool blend,
intermixed with some sparkly and turquoise fibers. The design
reminds me of some historic Old European designs - very warm and
practical as well as being charming and fun to wear.

For
very cold weather, the strings can be tied closed and this completely
blocks the cold on blustery winter days - open, it provides warmth
without overheating. I expect to wear this often throughout the
winter, to keep toasty warm during the bone chilling cold of an East
Coast winter.

Cathy
recommends handwashing as the best way to care for her knit and
crochet pieces, and I can tell that this hat will hold up to frequent
use without undue wear and tear.

I
have to confess I have my eye on several other items available at
Golden Hands Design, and am looking forward to new designs she has
planned once the Christmas rush is over - she hinted at more cowls
and even a poncho to come and I can't wait! Cathy clearly loves
creating beautiful things for interesting people, and enjoys the
camaraderie of having a shop at Etsy, and being able to get to know
people from around the world who share a love of handmade items.

Whether
you're young or young at heart, do check out Golden Hands Design -
I'm sure you'll find something there you can't live without! I know
I'll be back for more.

***

This post was originally posted at WAHM Review and is being cross posted here by the original author. I received no monetary compensation for this review, however I did receive free product for review. All opinions are my own. Click here see our full disclosure policy.

Friday, December 6, 2013

Central
California is my family’s favorite vacation area. Whenever we go, we
always make time to head into San Francisco and become tourists for the
day. The best place to do that is Pier 39! One of my first stops there
is Lefty’s. Lefty’s is
retailer of left-hander specific products. It opened its doors, the
first time, in 1978 as the country’s first store to cater to
left-handers.

As
a left-hander, you normally have to make do with everyday products that
are made with right-hander dynamics. It’s kind of hard to understand if
you have not dealt with it. Many everyday items from scissors,
can-openers, notebooks, measuring cups and everything in between, are
often backwards to a left-hander. Lefty’s has all of these, as well as many novelty items available.

I was sent the Deluxe Leather Portfolio Gift Set. It included the deluxe Padfolio with Yoropen, Left-Handed Calendar, Left-Handed Scissors and Left-Handed Mousepad. It was like Christmas in my mailbox the day it arrived! This set retails for $100 when purchased all together.

The
padfolio is pebbled leather on the outside and soft paisley fabric
lined inside. It zips all the way around, and when opened the 50-page
legal pad is on the left!

On the right are three slots for loose-leaf
paper and a business card slot. In the center is a penholder and comes
with their YuroPen. I have loved using this!

I’m a little unsure if it’s
the pen or the writing pad being on the left side, or maybe even a mix
of the two, but my writing is neat for the first time in my life, and it
is straight across! Left-handers are notorious for our slanted writing.
We often have to turn a notebook sideways to create the left side that
this provides.

This padfolio makes me feel very professional. They have
similar ones that even hold a tablet inside. I’m a big fan of this
padfolio and carry it nearly everywhere I go! If purchased alone, it
retails $68.

The
YoroPen with black ink that came with it is wonderful! It has a
triangular grip that can be rotated and comfortably used by both left
and right-handers ergonomically. It has a hooked neck design, which is
ideal for a few reasons. Firstly, it prevents hand smudging that is
synonymous with lefties.

Left-hander’s glide across the words that are
already written, causing ink smudges on the sides of our hands. The way
this pen is held stops that from occurring.

Another amazing attribute is
that I can finally see what I am writing! Again, the hook places your
hand in way that it is up off the paper, no longer blocking your words.
It took a little getting used to the first few minutes but after that, I
found it very comfortable and beyond practical.

The pen comes with one
ink refill, which is nice because it is odd-shaped and would be hard to
find otherwise. I practiced taking it apart to see how hard it was to
refill, and it is a lot easier than I thought it would be! Purchased
alone it retails for $14.95.

The
next item was something I’ve desperately needed! Left-handed scissors!
Growing up, both of my parents were left-handed. Out of four children in
the house, I was the only lefty. Which means whenever my mom’s
expensive scissors went missing, there was no question that I was the
culprit. However I never took the time to buy my own pair, so for many
years I’ve been stuck with right-hander scissors whenever I need them.

To a lefty, normal scissors are backwards oriented. They include a large hole for your fingers, and a smaller hole for thumb. If you flip them,
the blades are upside down and don’t cut well. Usually you end up
flipping your wrist, causing uncomfortable hand cramps. These scissors
are my favorite colors, red and black as an added perk. I am so happy to
finally own a pair! Bought alone they retail for $11.95

The
next two items are novelty, but I loved having them! The first was a
mouse pad with great artwork of the San Francisco bridge and one of my
favorite sayings- “I may be left-handed, but I’m always right!”Unfortunately I just use the track pad on my laptop so I have no use for
its intended purpose. However, It’s so pretty I’m just going to hang it
up on the wall!

The
last item is a 2014 Left-Handed day-to-day calendar. While it has no
specific uses as a left-hander, it is filled with lefty facts, stories
and even daily birthdays. It has a kickstand and sits perfectly on my
desk. The only downside is that I have to wait a whole month to be able
to use it! This calendar retails for $17.50.

I
absolutely love everything this store sells. Every time I have gone to
the store to shop I end up buying a ton of gifts for my mom, and nothing
for myself. I have bought my mom a spiral notebook among other things;
the spiral is on the opposite side, with the pages oriented
appropriately.

Another fun item I’ve purchased as a gift, that I hope to
own one day is their left-handers coffee mug! It’s wonderful; it has a
small hole at the top of one side of the cup. So if a righty tries to
use it, their drink would spill out of the hole onto them before
reaching there mouths. Left-handers only!

Lefty’s
has three locations including Pier 39 in San Francisco, Downtown Disney
in FL and another location in Florida. However, all products can be
found on their online store as well.

This post was originally posted at WAHM Review
and is being cross posted here by the original author. I received no
monetary compensation for this review, however I was provided with the
product for free for purposes of review. All opinions are my own. Click here see our full disclosure policy.

Tuesday, December 3, 2013

So there I was, in the middle of the Mojave, sweating like a mad man. My rucksack was feeling heavier by the minute. I had breakfast 4 hours ago and we weren’t due for lunch for at least another hour. That’s when I remembered that I had put a snack in my bag when I was packing the night before. It was a snack from my Graze Nibble Box.

Graze is a subscription box service that sends you 4 snacks in varying frequencies. You can have your boxes delivered every 4 weeks or every 2. Each box costs only $6.

Inside my box I received The Cheese Board, Dark Rocky Road, Mississippi BBQ Pistachios, and Key Lime Pie. Each one was an adventure of flavors and textures.

The Cheese Board consisted of cheesy cashews, salsa corn sticks, and herb crackers. The cheese flavor was very light and the sweetness of the cashews helped to break up the light salty taste of the cheese. At only 139 calories, it’s a great snack to suppress those midday munchies you get between meals.

Dark Rocky Road was one of my favorites. It consisted of Belgian Dark Chocolate Buttons, Cranberries, and Pecans. This snack comes in at only 183 calories even considering the chocolate! The flavors complimented each other very well. This one didn’t feel as satisfying to me as some of the others did though. It was definitely packed with lost of quick energy.

The Mississippi BBQ Pistachios didn’t have as much of that sweet, smoky flavor that I had hoped for but were still very yummy. I love pistachios to begin with so adding a little flavor to them makes them even better! This one was only 104 calories.

My favorite, by far, in this box was the Key Lime Pie. It consists of lime raisins, mini meringues, sponge pieces and green raisins. This one was very filling. There wasn’t a strong lime flavor but it was certainly there. The combination of the ingredients was perfect. At 108 calories, this snack is sure to please everyone.

Once you sample a few of their snacks you can log on to their site and rate your favorites on a scale of trash, try, like, or love. This gives customers the opportunity to try new things, toss the ones they don’t like, and keep the good stuff coming! This is a great addition to an already incredible service.

When you create an account you will get a “Feed Your Friends” code. The friend code entitles your friend to receive their 1st and 5th box free! And with every friend that uses your code you can choose either $1 off discount on your box or you can donate it to the Graze School of Farming, a school located in Kabubbu, Uganda. Here, students are taught how to grow, maintain, and harvest fruit from their own trees.

I am happy to announce that I am continuing my subscription to graze. I actually received my second box as I was working on this review.

In the new box I received 4 new snacks: My Thai, Apple Cinnamon Flapjacks, Jalapeno Fiesta, and Garden of England.

My Thai was made up of sweet chili sauce and baked soy bites. I absolutely loved this one. I couldn’t help myself when I opened it.

I also received Apple and Cinnamon Flapjacks. These were absolutely amazing. They were soft and super yummy. My wife had eaten one while I was trying the Jalapeno Fiesta. I offered her some and she told me that she needed to wait for a few minutes because she wasn’t ready for the flavor to leave her mouth yet.

The Jalapeno Fiesta was excellent. The combination of nuts and seeds flavored with a slightly spicy jalapeno were absolutely irresistible.

Finally, a combination that was bursting with flavor and at only 70 calories was the Garden of England. The black currants, apple pieces, and mini strawberries were so full of flavor that I couldn’t put them down. It took all the self-control that I had to save a little for my wife who was napping at the time.

I am truly happy with my decision to continue my subscription with Graze. Once you try it I am sure that you will be too. I can’t wait to see what I get next!

This post was originally posted at WAHM Review
and is being cross posted here by the original author. I received no
monetary compensation for this review, however I was provided with the
product for free for purposes of review. All opinions are my own. Click here see our full disclosure policy.